Not long after Ardi contacted the police, Kia's body was taken away for an autopsy, leaving the house behind the police line. That same night, Ardi and Saiful were also brought to the police station to give their statements.
They started with Saiful. Before sitting in the hot seat and being bombarded with questions, he put up all kinds of resistance. He shook his head, backed away from the chair, and even tried to force open the door to the interview room. The man was panicked, almost hysterical. The image in his head was just like something out of a soap opera. Arresting bad guys always looked dramatic and brief, without any judgment. There was only a search, handcuffs, a gun, and then the suspect ended up behind bars without ever going to court. Saiful wasn't educated. Naturally, he was terrified that what he'd seen in soap operas was about to happen to him now.
"I didn't kill her, sir. I swear, it wasn't me. I don't know anything. I went there because I heard Ms. Kia scream." Saiful's hands trembled, and so did his voice. No one knew how many times he'd already sworn, saying, "I swear to God," to convince the officers that he wasn't the killer. But it didn't help. They still wouldn't let Saiful leave the room.
"This is a police station, not kindergarten! You don't get to cry and walk out of class!" The uniformed man in front of him spoke firmly. "Please cooperate, Mr. Saiful!"
"I don't want to, Officer! I'm not a murderer! I'm stupid, okay? I couldn't bring myself to kill an animal, let alone a person, sir." Saiful was still trying to force his way through the door, which the officer was blocking.
"Precisely because you may not be the murderer, we're asking for your information and testimony," the investigator said firmly.
"You're going to put me in prison, aren't you, sir?"
"Mr. Saiful, we're questioning you as a witness until the suspect is found."
Saiful gave in a little. "Really, sir? I'm only a witness?"
Saiful finally began to cooperate. He looked exhausted, and his body swayed slightly. The police officer helped him sit in the interview chair.
They began with questions about his identity, followed by a prepared list of questions.
"What was your position at that house?" the investigator asked.
"I'm the gardener, Officer. But I don't just take care of the garden. I also have a schedule for cleaning the parts the women can't reach."
"Is there a female worker there?"
"Yes. My wife."
"How long have you worked there?"
"Two years, sir." Saiful answered in a distinct Sundanese accent. "Since Mr. Ardi and Ms. Kia moved in."
"Around 2024?"
"Yes, that's right. Early 2024."
"Why were you at the crime scene last night?"
"Last night, I heard screaming from Ms. Kia's house. My house is right behind my employer's house. So I ran over there, and it turned out the house was dark. Only one room had its light on. Ms. Kia's house is usually dark when nobody's home. I thought it was strange because Ms. Kia had gone out that afternoon."
"How many voices did you hear that night?"
Saiful appeared to think. "I only heard Ms. Kia's voice screaming."
"Before that scream, had there been any arguments in the days leading up to it?"
"Mr. Ardi and Ms. Kia often argued when they were at home. This morning, Mr. Ardi and Ms. Kia also had a little fight."
"Did you hear what they were arguing about?"
Saiful shook his head. "No. My wife and I chose to stay away whenever they argued."
"Have you ever seen her husband get violent or try to hurt the victim?"
Saiful fell silent for a moment. He wanted to say something, but chose to hold it back. The investigator couldn't simply ignore the expression on Saiful's face.
"We'll find out about even the smallest lie." The officer's warning only made Saiful's body grow more tense.
"I've never seen Mr. Ardi get rough with her—I mean, get physical. Never. He has yelled at her, though. But as for hurting her..." Saiful drew a breath. "I'm not sure, but this morning someone made Ms. Kia some pregnancy milk. I didn't make it, and neither did my wife. The milk was already there when we arrived. Ms. Kia asked if we'd made it, and I told her we hadn't done anything yet. We'd just gotten there. We assumed Mr. Ardi had made it for her. I don't know. No one actually saw who made it, but the one thing we know for sure is that only Ms. Kia and Mr. Ardi were in that house before we arrived."
Saiful continued, "But luckily, Ms. Kia didn't drink the milk. It was given to the cat in the house instead. Not long after that, the cat died, sir."
The investigator leaned back in his chair and toyed with the pen in his hand.